was a Japanese politician who served as foreign minister for six months in 1974.
Early life
Kimura was born into a politically active family on 15 January 1909. His father and grandfather were both lawmakers.
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Career
Kimura was elected to the House of Representatives for 12 times as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).[ In addition, he served as chief cabinet secretary in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Eisaku Satō.] He was also chairman of the Parliamentarians' League for Japan-Palestine Friendship.[ He organized Yasser Arafat's visit to Japan in 1981.
His other posts include director-general of the economic planning agency and deputy chief cabinet secretary. In 1971, Kimura served as acting foreign minister. He was appointed foreign minister by Prime Minister ]Kakuei Tanaka
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1947 Japanese general election, 1947 to 1990 Japanese general election, 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974.
After ...
in mid-July 1974, replacing Masayoshi Ohira
Masayoshi is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Masayoshi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*, "correct, justice, righteous; wherefore, a reason"
*, "correct, justice, righteous; righteousness, justice, ...
in the post. Kimura was in office for six months in 1974.[ Kimura visited ]Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
in late October and early November 1974 which initiated a cooperation between African countries
This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa. It includes both fully recognised states, states with limited or zero recognition, and dependent territories of both African and non-African states. It lists 56 sovereign state ...
and Japan. He was the first senior Japanese government official to visit African countries. His Africa visit included Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
), Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
, and Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
.[ Then Kimura became head of the LDP's Asian-African Studies Group in 1977.]
Personal life and death
Kimura was married and had a daughter.[ He died of a heart attack at a hospital in Tokyo on 1 December 1983 at age 74.][
]
Honours
* Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (3 November 1983)
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimura, Toshio
1909 births
1983 deaths
Foreign ministers of Japan
Government ministers of Japan
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians
Members of the House of Representatives (Japan)